Throwing it all away

Karanka's side have been struggling to find a consistent run of results on their return to the top-flight, but sensed a chance against the champions who have struggled to carry on last season's heroics.

It was Boro who opened the scoring, through Alvaro Negredo in the first period before Riyad Mahrez's spot-kick to equalise. Negredo was on target once again with 20 minutes to play. However, Islam Slimani's penalty in the last minute of added time denied them points, and Karanka shared his disappointment at the result.

"I think we should have won the game,' Karanka told Sky Sports ."We showed we were better than them and I am pleased but it would have been better to win the game."

"We have to keep going," he stated. "Our last five or six performances have been really good so with the ball or without it."

"We've showed that we can play," the Spaniard admitted. "We know how to play when we couldn't play against the top teams."

Karanka added: "We are really organised so it is the way and once again the players knew it would be difficult today but this is the only way to stay in the Premier League."

Knew the goals would come

A lot of hype surrounded the arrival of Negredo from Valencia this summer, but it is fair to say that the Spaniard has failed to live up to expectations so far. The 31-year-old's only goal of the season before the trip to the King Power came on the opening day, but Karanka shared his delight at his return to the goals.

"I've known Negredo for I don't know how many years and I know how good he is," he said. "How good his work is and that one day the goals will arrive so I am really pleased for him."

"He scored two goals because the team did an amazing job," Karanka concluded. "I can't say how proud I am of all of them and of the crowd because it was an important game for us."

Middlesbrough will take on Hull City at the Riverside Stadium on Monday, December 5th with kick-off at 8pm BST.